Archive for the 'Soups and Stews' Category

This dish isn’t significantly different than Beef Bourguignon which is my cold-weather, large-group, make-ahead standard, but the orange zest and the extra vegetables are a nice twist on that recipe. If you make this a day in advance, refrigerate overnight, and reheat (in a low oven) the next day, it will be even better. In fact, I just finished making this a few minutes ago, took the photo above, and will be refrigerating it overnight so it will be ready to go for tomorrow’s Colts playoff game.

Over the last few months, recipes and menu items including farro have been popping up everywhere I look. I wanted to try cooking with it, and this soup from Tuscany provided the perfect cold-weather dish in which to do so. Unlike most other grains, the farro is difficult to overcook and won’t get mushy if it simmers a little longer than necessary, making this a quick, easy, forgiving soup.

After reading this blog, my colleague, former boss, and good friend Rhonda Linginfelter offered to share with me the details of her never-before-disclosed Gumbo recipe. There are as many recipes for gumbo as there are people who make it, but this one really can’t be beat. This is perfect for a cold winter day – particularly a Sunday during football season. This makes a ton, so make it for a group or plan to freeze some. Continue reading ‘Chicken, Sausage, and Shrimp Gumbo’

By now you may be doubting the authenticity of the recipes on this blog. Last week, I posted an Irish Stew recipe that didn’t include lamb and now I’m posting a Cassoulet recipe that doesn’t include duck. In the past, I have made this the more traditional way (using the recipe from Anthony Bourdain’s Les Halles Cookbook) with duck confit, tarbais beans, and pork belly. It was outstanding and I will likely make it again. That being said, I was specifically looking for a slow-cooker recipe to make on Christmas Eve. This was part of a perfect Christmas Eve – get the dish ready in the morning, get the kitchen clean, spend the day with the family, head to church in the evening, and come home to a delicious-smelling house and a hearty meal.

Okay, okay, I know that authentic Irish stew is supposed to be made from mutton or lamb, but everyone in my family prefers beef. This may not be authentic, but it is delicious. I say below that it can be refrigerated for two or three days, but I should probably say that it *should* be. This is a dish that improves significantly in the fridge, and is much better on the second day.

This dish is essentially Belgium’s answer to Beef Bourguignon. Traditionally, it’s made with just beef, beer, and onions, but the extra ingredients in this particular recipe enable a much deeper flavor and thicker consistency which I prefer. You really need to use some kind of dark beer here (Guinness works well and is easy to find, though a dark Belgian beer adds a nice, authentic flavor) to get the desired result. This can easily be made a day or two in advance and reheated.